The present invention relates to a flexible conveyor comprising a carrying structure and a conveyor belt where the upper side is defined by the loading surface of the conveyor belt.
A typical conveyor comprises a carrying structure which is a structure around which the belt is arranged. The carrying structure is usually made up of a stiff construction, for example made from steel, defining the path along which the conveyor belt will have to travel. In order to be able to convey goods on the conveyor belt, the carrying structure comprises a support structure for the belt so that the belt will be able to travel in a substantially horizontal or slightly inclined forward direction.
The conveyor belt can be in the shape of any suitable belt construction. If it is desirable to have a conveyor which conveys goods in a straight line, but at different levels, conveyor belts made from a plastic material can be used, optionally reinforced with glass fibres or plastic fibres.
In other applications where the conveyor belt needs to convey goods through, for example, an S-shaped curve, it is necessary to use side-flexing conveyor belts. Side-flexing conveyor belts usually consist of a number of interconnected chain links which are interconnected by means of pins. The adjacent chain links having usually oval-shaped apertures in protrusions which apertures are brought into overlapping relationship with apertures in an adjacent chain link in such a way that the pin can be inserted and thereby connect with an adjacent chain link in a hinge-like manner. These conveyor belts are naturally also usable in conveyors for straight lines where there is a change in elevation during the travel course of the conveyor belt.
Both of the above-mentioned types can be used in production lines where the goods need to be conveyed from one fixed process station to another fixed process station. If, however, the goods for one reason or the other, need to be sorted so that one type of goods goes in one direction and another type of goods goes in the second direction, a branch or switch is built into the conveyor system whereby it will be possible to direct the goods being conveyed on the conveyor onto a second or third conveyor according to the sorting criteria.
The total conveyor system from the first station to the secondary stations thereby becomes complex and expensive. Furthermore, if a change in the production line is desired, the entire conveyor needs to be rebuilt or replaced by a new conveyor system.
In some applications, fixed conveyor belts are being used although flexible conveyor systems which substantially improve both production and the working environment surrounding the conveyor could be used.
One such application is loading and unloading of items from cargo bays on air planes and other relatively small spaces. At present unloading is done by manually lifting the item, for example a suitcase, from its position in the loading bay and onto the conveyor belt. The height in a typical civil commuter plane is between 90 and 150 cm which puts a strain on the back of the person lifting the suitcases from the loading bay and onto the conveyor. The conveyor system is usually mounted on a vehicle and is of the type of a straight-line conveyor belt bringing the item from the loading bay to a lower level where the item is transferred, for example to a truck for transporting it further onto luggage distribution vehicles, or vice versa.
Furthermore, the traditional type of conveyor used for unloading air planes can only reach a limited distance into the loading bay. The distance from the opening of the loading bay to the back of the loading bay can in some air planes be from eight up to ten metres. In order to bring the items, usually luggage, from the back of the loading bay to the conveyor arranged in the opening of the loading bay, sliding carpets or an additional small conveyor must be brought into the loading bay area. This requires a further cumbersome routine and requires the continual redoing of the conveying structure as the luggage is unloaded from one end whereby the distance to convey increasingly becomes longer.
In other applications, for example where goods need to be sorted as explained above or where goods need to be loaded or unloaded from trucks at a loading bay, there is consequently a need for a flexible conveyor which is easily adjustable both sideways and in elevation.